Out of the deer I shot that had passthroughs with the rage 2 blade, all were behind the shoulder broadside shots except one. Each quartering away shot the broadhead lodged in the outside shoulder or poked just through it. The one broadside shot that I hit forward on went through both shoulders and the bottom of the heart. Did not hit the hard knuckle at the top of the shoulder. The feral tip was damaged in this case, but the deer was easy to find. No doubt that fixed broadheads are sometimes more durable ( depending on brand), but I shoot the Rage for results. I bought several packages with gift cards, so if one breaks, I put on a new one. I think the overall consensus is that you get more passthroughs with fixed smaller heads, but a passthrough does not always mean a shorter blood trail or easier find. I don't agree with the Rage marketing, but I do agree that if you hit where you should, they inflict a lot of internal damage, and short track jobs in my personal experience. I also like the rear deployment, don't understand how the could not open to tell you the truth.
I've personally talked to 2 people that tried rage heads and shot deer with complete pass through, to find that the broadhead did not open. Both still found their deer, as they still hit vitals, but swore they would never use a rage again. One swore off mechanicals all together. These guy's aren't dunces either. This is personally my main concern with them as well. I don't like the variables. This is the same reason I shoot a whisker biscuit. No moving parts!
I hit a doe at 3 yards, but unfourtunatly gut shot her. i dont know if the rage opened however, cause there were three nail head sized drops and thats about it, how ever i dont think i can give a fair review without me not making a mistake hahah hopefuly by thanksgiving ill have shot a deer
This may have been what happed to me to, i hat complete pass through and very little blood at 3 yards
It's not uncommon to not have much blood up close. Out past 20yds is usually where you really start to see blood.
I use the 2 blade Rage. I have had real good luck with them. I was thinking about trying the 2 blade Blood Runners just becuase I am a archery junkie!
I have kill 6 deer, a bobcat and a black bear with the RAGE. Shortest yards after shoot black bear 21 yards and tipped over, this bear dressed at 270 #S. A doe 26 yards and tipped over. All recovered under 125 yards. Nothing cuts like a RAGE through the cage!!
Lets not forget, I'm seated firmly on the fixed blade side of the fence. I've never been unable to tune a slick trick to any bow. However, that doesn't mean I want expandables banned and that doesn't mean they aren't easier to get to fly straight.
I'm finding more reasons why I think my next set of BH's are going to be some sort of fixed-blade that are easy to sharpen. I missed a deer the other night - just a plain old miss on my part - misjudged the distance. I recovered the arrow thanks to my nockturnal green nock. (They pay for themselves the first time you recover an otherwise unrecoverable arrow btw) I got home and and checked the blades. They weren't damaged but they were dull as a butter knife. The arrow had buried itself at a low angle into some soft / wet dirt and dulled the blades greatly. These BHs are by far the biggest pain in the arse when trying to replace blades or pull them out to sharpen. (Yes I pull them out to sharpen. I use a fine Arkansas stone to put a nice edge back on them. The cheap plastic "broadhead sharpener" doesn't do it) Hammer the pin out, sharpen, put the pin back in just far enough to hold the blades, hammer the pin back into place. Replace the o-ring. Its $20 for a set of replacement blades - half the cost of a new set BHs. $10 for a pack of the o-rings (no I couldn't find any at the local hardware store). I've only shot one deer and had a few misses this season and I'm already annoyed with the Rages. I'm looking at cranking up my limbs and getting CX piledrivers for my next dozen arrows. I think the heavier arrow (perhaps a 125gr head as well) and a higher FOC will make tuning a fixed blade a little easier. We'll see I guess.
Switch to slick trick heads slider. Easy to remove blades and re-sharpen. Blades are very thick, so this helps also.
They're a possibility. I like the one-piece design of the G5 Montec and the like. Plus you're supposed to be able to just pass them over a sharpening stone on each side - nothing to disassemble. I'll have to shoot and see what I like I guess.
They aren't really strong enough to survive if you hit anything really hard, like rocks. A friend tried them thinking the same thing... but they only work if you run them into soft dirt. The points are just too sharp, yet not rugged enough. I've slammed a slick trick into a big rock, shattering the gold tip shaft. Tip was still sharp enough to draw blood, and one of the blades was nicked, so I steeled it up and it was good as new. In the "tough" department, you won't find many equals to the slick trick.
There was an exit wound. Blood spray from both sides. Looked like someone was walking between trees with a paint brush in each hand dripping with red paint. I just shot one yesterday with these blades... Hit a branch right before it went in and arrow turned and went under skin and got artery in shoulder. Didn't even enter the ribcage and it only went about 35 yrds. It was TORN UP in there. Thanx for the ribbing tho :D
I'll probably try the slick trick as well (maybe the trusty old Muzzy's too if I can get them to fly with a different arrow setup). I also like the Magnus Snuffer SS for the lifetime replacement. That's a nice incentive.
I'll chime in as a new rage user.. To be honest, I'm on the fence on them thus far. Measured 30 yard shot, completely broadside. I did hit a little far back, howler did still have the bright pink blood. I observed a complete pass thru, and the arrow buried in the earth. One of the blades was bent, the other very dull. Easy fix. Now, the performance. This was a late afternoon shoot, and darkness approached as I began the task of trailing. Had great blood for about 50 yards, then it seemed to vanish. Now, the bad news, I had to work at 9:00am the next day, so I rounded up a buddy to meet me the next morning, we went over the shot, retraced the blood that initial 50 yards & I left. He stayed out and searched in earnest most of the next day, finding one spot where the deer had stood briefly, and a few other droplets. To summarize, I had no doe. Still not sure exactly why, as I was certain to have clipped at least one lung by the brightish blood. So, I'm still not sold on them, nor am I against at this point bc I have lost deer with a fixed blade also. To touch on some earlier questions, Arrow flight was a big selling point to me, as well as the wound channel, and devastation they claim to have. So to say I bought into the hype? Maybe, but IMO the jury is still out for me.
Hey guys & Gals, I was alittle nervous about them at first. I have always shot muzzy fixed blades but when I bought my new fangled bow recently a friend suggested the 2 blade, 2'' Rages. Well I just shot my first deer with the Rage 2 blade. I shot alittle far forward and hit both shoulder blades etc with no pass complete pass through (arrow did not exit the other side of the deer). The blood trail was clear. After I recovered the arrow and the deer, the broadhead looked like new. The deer didn't go very far. I'm impressed. So far... so good.... but if something can be screwed up, I'll be the one to figure out how!
